Monthly Archives: January 2011

Tuesday January 25th, 2011 – According to reports by Tahavole Sabz in a letter addressed to Ayatollah Khamenei, 132 intellectuals, writers and university professors from across the world call on the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Ebrahim Yazdi and all other prisoners of conscience held in the Islamic Republic of Iran whose sole offense has been to speak out peacefully against the policies of their government, for their continued incarceration would be considered in clear violation of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic and the international obligations of Iran.

The signatories of this letter include Richard Falk, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University and other intellectuals and university professors such as Noam Chomsky, Juergen Habermas, Rashid Khalidi, John L. Esposito and Cornell West to name a few.

The full content of the letter addressed to Ayatollah Khamenei by 132 intellectuals, writers and university professors from across the world and provided to Tahavole Sabz is as follows:

The Supreme Leader, Ayatullah Sayyed Ali Khamenei

January 24, 2011

We are writing to appeal to you for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Ebrahim Yazdi and all prisoners of conscience in the Islamic Republic of Iran whose sole offence is to speak out peacefully against the policies of your government. Their detention and abuse is an unjustifiable violation of internationally accepted norms of human rights and international law and is surely an affront to all religions that are based on the principles of justice, legality, and compassion. Furthermore, the detention of these prisoners of conscience is in violation of Iran’s own constitution and laws as well as Iran’s international obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, both of which the Islamic Republic of Iran has formally endorsed.

Ebrahim Yazdi is a man of honor who has for over 60 years devoted his life to democratic reforms in Iran and the promotion of respect for human rights throughout the Muslim world. Before the revolution, for two decades, he lived in exile where he worked tirelessly to expose the abusive rule of the Pahlavi monarchy. After the 1979 Revolution, he served with dignity and loyalty as Iran’s Foreign Minister under Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan. While in office, these two exceptional political leaders, opposed on principle the summary and arbitrary executions of enemies of the Iranian regime being carried out at that time. They later resigned in protest against the seizure of the US embassy in November 1979. Ebrahim Yazdi is today the Secretary-General of the Freedom Movement of Iran (Nehzat-e Azadi Iran). He and the Freedom Movement have unequivocally insisted that their activities rely only on legal and non-

violent methods of political opposition. He opposed the continuation of the war with Iraq after the expulsion of Iraqi forces from Iranian territory in 1982. As a believer in national reconciliation he has devoted himself to dialogue and mutual respect between Iran’s various political and social groups and has championed social and political reform and minority rights. For over thirty years, Ebrahim Yazdi has been a voice for moderation inside Iran, rejecting all initiatives by Iran’s governing elites that lead to violence, cause enmity within the society, and involve denials of human dignity. He has bravely criticized illegal government actions and the concentration of power in the hands of a few.

Dr. Yazdi has been arrested three times since the 2009 presidential election in Iran. At the time of his most recent arrest on October 1, 2010, he was attending a prayer service in a private house in the city of Isfahan. Police violently attacked the home and took him and several others into custody under the pretext that this was “an unauthorized prayer service”. Ebrahim Yazdi is now 80 years of age and in poor health. Indeed, at the age of 80, Dr. Yazdi is the oldest political prisoner in Iran and one of the oldest captives held anywhere in the world. Your government has subjected him to repeated and lengthy imprisonment as well as debilitating interrogations, definitely contributing to his need for emergency open heart surgery. Continued imprisonment may result in further severe deteriorations in his health.

We appeal to you to end this disregard for human rights that will eventually destroy all trust between your government and Iran’s citizens and block national dialogue and reform through reliance on the democratic institutions and practices of civil society. Wherever normal political activities of citizens is prevented and punished, other less peaceful means of change become inevitable. The regime of the late Shah of Iran is a telling example of the political consequences of such a degeneration of the Iranian governing process. Against all odds, with admirable courage, and at great human sacrifice, the people of Iran were ultimately successful in removing Shah’s powerful, yet abusive regime. The goal of the Iranian Revolution was to realize its inspiring vision of independence, freedom, constitutional governance, and popular sovereignty. Again, we appeal to you to release all prisoners of conscience in your prisons and to start a forthright dialogue with the Iranian people to bring that noble vision back to life and turn it finally into a reality. The

A copy was sent to:Ayatullah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Head of the Assembly of Experts and Expediency Council, IslamicRepublic of IranAyatullah Sadeqh Larijani, Head of Judiciary, Islamic Republic of IranDr. Mahmood Ahmadinejad, President, Islamic Republic of IranDr. Ali Larijani, Speaker of the Majlis, Islamic Republic of IranMr. Mohammad Khazaee, Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the United Nations

Appeal’s Supporting Names and Signatures

Douglas AllenProfessor of Philosophy, University of MaineAlice AmsdenBarton L. Weller Professor of Development Economics, MITAbdullahi Ahmed An-Na’im (from Sudan)Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law, Emory University School of LawKwame Anthony AppiahLaurance S Rockefeller University Professor of Philosophy and the University Center for Human Values,Princeton University; President, PEN American Center; Chair, Board of Officers, American PhilosophicalAssociationSibylle Appuhn-RadtkeProfessor for the History of Arts, University of Erlangen, GermanyAndrew AratoProfessor in Political and Social Theory, New School for Social ResearchStanley AronowitzDistinguished Professor of Sociology, CUNY Graduate CenterTalal AsadDistinguished Professor of Anthropology, Graduate Center, City University of New YorkAnthony BarnettFounder, Open DemocracyRobert N. BellahProfessor of Sociology, Emeritus, University of California, BerkeleyRonald BeinerProfessor of Political Science, University of TorontoSeyla BenhabibEugene Meyer Professor of Political Science and Philosophy Yale UniversityRichard J. BernsteinVera List Professor of Philosophy, New School for Social ResearchMichael BérubéPaterno Family Professor in Literature, Director, Institute for the Arts and Humanities,The Pennsylvania State UniversityMichael BordtPresident of the Munich School of Philosophy, GermanyRony BraumanProfesseur at Sciences Po (Paris), former president of MSF ( France)Stephen Eric BronnerDistinguished Professor of Political Science, Rutgers UniversityRainer BrunnerDirecteur de recherche, CNRS, Paris, FranceIan BurumaHenry R. Luce Professor, at Bard College, New YorkCharles E. ButterworthEmeritus Professor, University of MarylandCraig CalhounUniversity Professor of the Social Sciences, Director, Institute for Public Knowledge, New York UniversityCraig CampbellDirector and Professor, Public Safety Management Program, St. Edward’s UniversityRichard CaplanProfessor of International RelationsDirector, Centre for International Studies, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of OxfordJose CasanovaProfessor of Sociology and Senior Fellow Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, at GeorgetownUniversityPeter ChelkowskiUniversity ProfessorPartha ChatterjeeProfessor of anthropology, Columbia University, New YorkNoam ChomskyInstitute Professor (retired), MIT, Cambridge MA, USASimon Critchley Chair Department of philosophy, New School for Social Research, New YorkFred DallmayrChair and Professor of Philosophy and Political Science, Senior Fellow of the Kroc Institutefor International Peace Studies, University of Notre DameJoyce Davis,President of the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg and an independent journalist and media consultantAriel DorfmanAuthor, Distinguished Professor, Duke UniversityShadia DruryProfessor of Philosophy, University of ReginaMartín EspadaProfessor of English, University of Massachusetts-AmherstJohn L. EspositoUniversity Professor and Founding Director, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Christian-MuslimUnderstanding, George Town UniversityRoxanne L. Euben Ralph Emerson and Alice Freeman Palmer Professor of Political Science, Wellesley CollegeMichel FeherWriterPatrick FrankeProfessor of Islamic Studies, University of Bamberg, GermanyEdward FriedmanProfessor, Department of Political Science, University of Wisconsin, MadisonJohan GaltungFounder TRANSCEND, Professor of Peace StudiesRobert GassmannProf. em. of Chinese Studies, University of Zurich, SwitzerlandTodd GitlinProfessor of Journalism and Sociology, Chair, Ph. D. Program in Communications, Columbia UniversityJürgen HabermasPhilosopher and Social ThinkerGerd HaeffnerProfessor of Philosophy, Munich School of Philosophy, GermanyMichael HainzInstitute of Societal Politics, Munich School of Philosophy, GermanyThomas HarrisonCo-Director, Campaign for Peace and DemocracyW. D. HartProfessor of Philosophy, University of Illinois at ChicagoSeamus HeaneyProfessor, Previously Teaching at HarvardSonja HegasyVice-Director of the Center of the Modern Orient, Berlin, GermanyDavid HeldGraham Wallas Professor of Political Science, LSE, United KingdomDick HowardDistinguished Professor of Philosophy, SUNY at Stony BrookElizabeth Shakman HurdAssistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Northwestern UniversityDavid B. IngramProfessor of Philosophy, Loyola University ChicagoMark JuergensmeyerDirector Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies University of California, Santa BarbaraM.H. KaldorProf. of Global Governance, London School of EconomicsOtto KallscheuerPolitical Philosopher, University of Sassari, ItalyJohn KeaneProfessor of Politics at the University of Sydney and the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (WZB)Thomas KeenanProfessor, Bard CollegeRashid KhalidiEdward Said Professor of Arab Studies Department of History, Columbia UniversityAnke von KügelgenProfessor of Islamic Studies, University of Bern, SwitzerlandMirjam KünklerAssistant Professor in Near Eastern Studies, Princeton UniversityTimur KuranProfessor of Economics and Political Science and Gorter Family Professor of Islamic Studies, Duke UniversityErnesto LaclauEmeritus Professor at Essex University, UKJoanne LandyCo-Director, Campaign for Peace and DemocracyRobert D. LeeProfessor of Political Science, Colorado CollegeJesse LemischProfessor Emeritus, History, John Jay Coll of Criminal Justice, CUNYZachary LockmanProfessor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and of History, New York UniversityClaudio LomnitzCampbell Family Professor of Anthropology, Columbia UniversitySteven LukesProfessor of Sociology at New York UniversityCecelia LynchProfessor of Political Science, and Director, Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies, UC IrvineAlan Macfarlane, F.B.A. Professor of Anthropological Science, Emeritus, University of CambridgeMahmood MamdaniProfessor and Director, Makerere Institute of Social Research, Makerere University, Kampala, Ugandaand Herbert Lehman Professor of Government, Columbia University, New YorkUlrika MårtenssonAssociate professor, Religious studies, The Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyBrinkley MessickProfessor of Anthropology, Columbia UniversityPankaj MishraWriterTariq Modood, MBE, AcSSProfessor of Sociology, Politics and Public Policy, Director, University Research Centre for the Study of Ethnicityand Citizenship and Founding Co-editor of Ethnicities (Sage), University of Bristol, UKEbrahim MoosaAssociate Professor of Islamic Studies, Department of Religion, Duke UniversityRosalind MorrisProfessor, Anthropology, Columbia UniversityChantal Mouffe Professor and Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster, LondonJohannes MüllerProf. Dr., Institute for Social and Development Studies (Institut für Gesellschaftspolitik) at the Munich School ofPhilosophy, GermanyAnne NortonProfessor of Political Science, University of PennsylvaniaClaus OffeDr. rer. pol. Dr. h. c. Claus Offe, Dipl.-Soz., Professor em. of Political ScienceHertie School of Governance, Berlin, GermanyFriederike PannewickProfessor of Arab Studies, Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies, Universität Marburg, GermanyPhilip PettitL.S.Rockefeller University Professor of Politics and Human Values, Princeton UniversityPhilip PettitCenter for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences, Stanford UniversityKatha PollittWriterNoah PorterProfessor Emeritus of Philosophical Theology, Yale University, Senior Fellow, Institute for Advanced Studies inCulture, University of VirginiaHilary PutnamUniversity Professor Emeritus, Harvard UniversityJoanne RappaportProfessor, Department of Anthropology, Georgetown UniversityJoseph RazThomas M. Macioce Professor of Law at Columbia Law SchoolStefan ReichmuthProfessor of Islamic Studies, University of Bochum, GermanyDavid RieffWriterMaurus ReinkowskiProfessor of Islamic Studies and the History of the Islamic Peoples, University of Basel, SwitzerlandFriedo RickenProfessor em. of Philosophy at Munich School of Philosophy and University of SalzburgWilliam R. RoffProfessor Emeritus of History, Columbia University, New YorkHon. Professorial Fellow, Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies, University of EdinburghJonathan RosenbaumVisiting Professor at Virginia Commonwealth UniversityStephan RosinyGerman Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Institute of Middle East Studies, Hamburg, GermanySara RoySenior Research Scholar, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard UniversitySharon Stanton Russell, BA, MA, MPA, PHDResearch Affiliate at Center for International Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and, in 1974-1975Academic Year, Consultant for Manpower Policy, Planning and Evaluation of the Kavar Village Health WorkerProject, from the Department of Community Medicine, Pahlavi University School of Medicine, Shiraz, IranAlfred StepanWallace Sayre Professor of Government, Columbia UniversityMalise Ruthven, Ph.D., independent researcher and writer based in London UKJoe SaccoCartoonistSaskia SassenRobert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology, Columbia UniversityReinhard SchulzeProfessor of Islamic Studies, University of Bern, SwitzerlandChristoph SchumannProfessor for Politics and Contemporary History of the Middle East, University of Erlangen, GermanyJillian SchwedlerAssociate Professor and Honors Program Director Department of Political Science, University of MassachusettsRichard SennettSchool Professor of Sociology, emeritus, The London School of EconomicsMartin ShawProfessorial Fellow in International Relations and Human Rights, Roehampton University, LondonResearch Professor of International Relations, Sussex UniversitySamer S. ShehataAssistant Professor of Arab Politics, Center for Contemporary Arab StudiesEdmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown UniversityDavid SchweickartProfessor of Philosophy, Loyola University ChicagoTamara SonnWm. R. Kenan Professor of Humanities, Department of Religious Studies, College of William & MaryGayatri Chakravorty Spivak,University Professor in the Humanities, Columbia UniversityChristian SteineckProfessor of Japanese Studies, University of Zürich, SwitzerlandAlfred StepanWallace Sayre Professor of Government, Columbia UniversityJeffrey StoutProfessor of Religion, Princeton UniversityCharles Taylor Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at McGill UniversityMary Ann TetreaultCox Distinguished Professor of International Affairs, Trinity UniversityJustin TiwaldAssistant Professor of Philosophy, San Francisco State UniversityChris ToensingExecutive Director, Middle East Research and Information ProjectMichael J. ThompsonProfessor, William Paterson UniversityAndreas TrampotaMunich School of Philosophy, GermanyStephen Van EveraFord International professor of Political Science, MITJohannes WallacherProfessor for Social Sciences, Economics and Ethics, Munich School of Philosophy, GermanyMichael WalzerProfessor (emeritus) of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, co-editor of DissentmagazineWolfram WeisseDirector of the Academy of World Religions, University of Hamburg, GermanyCornell WestProfessor of Sociology, Princeton UniversityStefan WildProfessor em. of Semitic Languages and Islamic Studies, University of Bonn, GermanyNicholas WolterstorffNoah Porter Professor Emeritus of Philosophical Theology, Yale University; and Senior Fellow, Institute forAdvanced Studies in Culture, University of VirginiaReinhard ZintlProfessor of Political Studies, University of Bamberg, GermanyMichael ZirinskyProfessor of History, Boise State UniversitySlavoj ZizekCo-Director, International Institute for Humanities, Birkbeck School of Law, University of LondonSami ZubaidaEmeritus Professor of Politics and Sociology, Birkbeck, University of London

Wednesday January 19th, 2011 – In a letter addressed to Majid Tavakoli, a large number of students at Amir Kabir University (Tehran Polytechnic) expressed their strong support of the Tavakoli family. The letter was written in the wake of the recent pressure and threats by security forces on the Tavakoli family, resulting in Tavakoli requesting that people and in particular the media outlets refrain from temporarily contacting his family.

Last week in a letter condemning the recent pressure on his family, Majid Tavakoli incarcerated student activist wrote: “In an effort to protect my family and their well being, I request that all friends, students, journalists, political and social activists and the leaders of the Green movement refrain from any contact or interviews with my family for the time being.”

According to student sources the content of the letter addressed to Tavakoli and signed by 963 students is as follows:

With greetings to the freedom seeking symbol of the student’s movement,

In the wake of the recent events endured by your dear family, we, approximately 1000 students at Amir Kabir University have taken it upon ourselves to write this letter on behalf of the student movement in order to express our deepest support for the pride of Amir Kabir University and the hero of the nation of Iran.

Our dear Majid as per your request although we have reduced our contact with your family, we want you to know that every single one of your statements from prison remain of great importance and significance to us.

Our dear Majid, we all stand with you and your family. Although they seek to silence your voice, your strength of character and perseverance has once again transformed into a roar of protests questioning those who have no regard for honor. It goes without saying that you are not alone. We are all your voice and the voice of your suffering family, for no matter where on this earth we happen to be and regardless of how long it takes, we pledge our allegiance to remain alongside you until the day that our heroes are all released [from prison] and until the day when Iran is Green and free.

We hope that you have heard the news that in your honor the students at Amir Kabir University have dedicated a park in your name.

Due to the extenuating circumstances this letter was only signed by 963 students at Amir Kabir University. In addition, as a result of the recent university attacks and arrests the names of the signatories have not been published and will be archived for Majid himself. Our only hope is that Majid hears of this letter and its content.

In conclusion we request all student organizations and the beloved students across our nation and around the globe to condemn the injustices against Majid Tavakoli and his honorable family.

We are all Majid Tavakoli. We feel Majid’s pain and will continue to be his voice.

According to reports by the Feminist School, Khandan was arrested after referring to the prosecutor’s office in compliance with a summon he had received last week. According to Khandan he was charged with “encouraging public opinion and publishing lies” and a $50,000.- USD bail was issued as condition for his release. Khandan also reported that the guarantee provided by Giti Sotoudeh, Nasrin Sotoudeh’s sister was rejected by the Judge and as a result, Khandan’s family were forced to present an alternative guarantor for his bail. Khandan was finally released this afternoon based on the second guarantee. It is worth mentioning that Khandan was summoned to the Prosecutor’s office in Evin prison after his wife’s sentence was announced.

Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer and human rights activist remains in solitary confinement in Evin prison, despite international pressures and the fact that she launched numerous hunger strikes in protest to the illegal nature of the charges against her. Nasrin Sotoudeh was arrested on September 4th. She was sentenced to 11 years in prison and banned from practicing law and leaving the country for 20 years.

Saturday January 15th, 2011 – Arash Sadeghi, student activist at Allameh Tabatabai University and one of the active students during the 2009 presidential elections is in need of urgent medical attention as a result of the physical and psychological torture he has endured while in prison.

According to reports by the Committee for the Defense of Political Prisoners, Sadeghi was first arrested on July 9th, 2009 after the altercations between students, security forces and plain clothes agents at the dormitories at Tehran University when he was arrested at his father’s residence. Sadeghi’s family who were left in the dark regarding his whereabouts were initially under the impression that Sadeghi had also been killed during the post election incidents.

They later ascertained that Sadeghi was being held at the Sepah’s 2A ward in Evin and had endured extensive torture during his arrest. Sadeghi described the torture he endured at the hands of his interrogators as follows:

– He was hung from the ceiling from one leg and left hanging for long periods of time (up to 5 hours).

– He was slapped for two to three hours causing damage to his eye, optic nerves and tearing of his ear drum.

– He was forced to lick the filthy toilet bowl and its content.

– Interrogators urinated on his face while holding his mouth open.

– He was banned from bathing despite the aforementioned conditions.

– He was pushed down from a height of two to three meters causing damage to the tendons in his legs.

– He was dragged on scorching hot asphalt resulting in severe damage to his skin.

– He was beaten repeatedly in the neck with a baton resulting in damage to the vertebra in his neck.

According to Sadeghi, interrogators demanded that he confess to membership in Iran’s Mojahedin Khalgh Organization (MKO) and other falsities while being video taped. Sadeghi was extensively tortured after refusing to comply with such demands and kept in solitary confinement for a period of 50 days. After enduring endless, excruciating torture Sadeghi was thrown out of a vehicle and left unconscious in East Tehran.

Sadeghi was arrested a second time on December 27th, 2009 in Tehran during the Ashura demonstrations and was later released on $50,0000.- USD bail in April of 2010. Sadeghi was also arrested twice in May of the same year, but released both times after short term detentions.

On November 10th, 2010, Sadeghi’s sentenced was reduced by the Appeals Court from 6 years prison and 74 lashings, to 5 years in prison. After Sadeghi’s sentence was announced, without any prior notice or summoning by the court, security forces brutally raided his parents’ residence at 4:00am in the morning in order to arrest him. The sudden raid and ruthless behavior by security forces led to Sadeghi’s mother suffering a heart attack, being hospitalized and passing away after four days of hospitalization.

In an interview right after his mother’s death, an extremely depressed Sadeghi stated: “My family hold me responsible for my mother’s death. Life has becoming a living hell. All I want is to return to prison.”

While in prison Sadeghi released a statement on the occasion of Student Day (16 Azar). This led to his transfer to solitary confinement at the Intelligence Ministry’s ward 209 at Evin prison where he was severely beaten by interrogators leaving him with a broken shoulder and loss of control in his legs.

Sadeghi then went on a 14 day hunger strike protesting the torture he had endured while in solitary confinement and was eventually transferred back to the general ward at Evin. According to his cell mates, as a result of the extensive torture he endured, Sadeghi is unable to stand and continues to suffer from a broken shoulder. In addition as a result of his hunger strike, Sadeghi now suffers from a bleeding ulcer and other ailments such as a lung infection. Despite his dire physical condition, Sadeghi has been deprived of medical attention and a psychological and physical evaluation.

The Committee for the Defense of Political Prisoners requests the immediate release of Arash Sadeghi so that he may seek the medical attention he so urgently needs.

Sunday January 16th, 2011 – According to reports by TahavoleSabz, Reyhaneh Tabatabai, journalist at Shargh Newspaper was released from prison. Tabatabai’s resume includes reporting for Sina News Agency, Chelcheragh Magazine and Shargh Newspaper to name a few.

Translator’s note: It is worth mentioning that according to early reports by Kalame Tabatabai’s release was predicted when the court issued $60,000.-USD bail as condition for her release. Keyvan Mehregan and Farzane Roostayi two other Shargh journalists remain incarcerated despite the fact that a $10,000.- USD bail has been issued for their release.

Sunday January 16th, 2011 – Reza Khandan Nasrin Sotoudeh’s husband was arrested early this morning when arriving at the prosecutor’s office in compliance with the summon he had received last week.

According to reports by the website Change for Equality, the charges against Khandan remain unclear. According to family members even though the court set a $50,000.- USD bail for his release, the bail amount posted by Soutoudeh’s sister has not been accepted to date.

Khandan was summoned to the prosecutor’s office at Evin after his wife’s sentence was announced. The increased pressure on Khandan most probably stems from the interviews he has given in an effort to secure his wife’s release from prison.

Despite international pressure and her numerous hunger strikes protesting the illegal nature of the charges against her, Nasrin Sotoudeh lawyer and human rights activist remains in solitary confinement at Evin prison. Sotoudeh was arrested on September 4th, 2010 and has been sentenced to 11 years in prison and banned from practicing law and leaving the country for 20 years.